Native and endemic plants, endangered bird species and special creatures

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Like crocodiles, wetas have not evolved for ages and are considered primitive. Wetas can hiss at you when you come too close but you have nothing to fear from them. Further info gathered from experts: this is a scree weta, Deinacrida connectens, some wetas can survive being frozen for months at a time in a state of suspended animation down to temperatures of -10°C, because their haemolymph (the insect equivalent of blood) contains special proteins which prevent ice from forming in their cells! There are two possible giant weta species that might be encountered on Copeland Pass - scree weta which tends to be on the drier eastern side of the divide in shingle screes, and a west coast species D. pluvialis, which is in wetter areas and usually found amongst alpine vegetation. Climbers report both from along the main divide. They are easily distinguished by colour: scree weta have black heads and a pink margin to the thoracic shield whereas D. pluvialis is brown virtually all over. They are often found ‘nowhere near’ any obvious vegetation, suggesting that they 1) walk long distances, and 2) probably feed on lichens, tiny inconspicuous scree plants, and dead or windblown invertebrates that accumulate on snow fields in summer.

On a walk mid September in the Wanaka area, patotara has started to flower.